Countless new MMOs have seen the light of day in the App Store and show no sign of stopping. While I welcome the concept of MMO games (”Massively Multiplayer Online”) to the iPhone, almost all of them are exactly the same — the only difference is the background story and terminology.

Outer Empires promises to give a truly different MMO experience. According to their website:
Outer Empires is a space based massively multi-player online game created for both the iPhone/iPod Touch and desktop browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari).

Every player will be able to create an online persona in a persistent galaxy; from that point on they can choose from a number of different careers to progress through the game. The game is set up in a sandbox style, to allow players to choose how their character develops.

Outer Empires Video Trailer

Players will have a variety of options, including:

• Fly missions (transport, fighter, freight, exploration, bounty)
• Set up colonies (Mining, Food Production, Manufacture, Development/Research)
• Run/join factions (guilds) within the game.
• Take control of and fight for systems (either themselves or as part of a faction).
• Buy/Mod/Build/Sell ships using a number of variable items that can be created from the manufacture plants players set up.
• Trade with other players and the system.

Developed by Ironwill Studios, Outer Empires has a lot of potential. By being able to shape the life and career of your particular character, it already adds extra elements to the game compared to other MMOs.